Page 26 - TFWA World Exhibit 2023 Special Edition

INSIDER

CTO’s new Secretary-General shares her vision for regional tourism

Dona Regis-Prosper, the new stakeholders to advance the organization’s
Secretary-General and CEO of the mission.
Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), In addition to re-imagining and
outlined her initial plans for leading the transforming the organization, Regis-
intergovernmental body that serves as Prosper’s role also involves addressing
the tourism development agency for 25 a range of pressing issues facing the
Caribbean countries and territories. She Caribbean’s tourism industry, including
discussed her vision during a live press advocacy, research, airlift, sustainability,
briefing streaming from Grand Cayman in and resilience.
early September. Regis-Prosper pledged to have open
Regis-Prosper was appointed as ears for members’ concerns.
Secretary-General in July. She is the “My first order of business has been
first woman to assume leadership of the and will continue to be listening in the
organization. Her term officially began on Dona Regis-Prosper coming months. I intend to learn and be
September 1. informed as much as possible about the
Regis-Prosper brings more than 22 direction and leadership to the CTO challenges faced by each member and to
years of experience to the role. Originally staff, collaborating with more than two develop workable solutions that will be
from St. Lucia, she has lived and worked dozen member countries and territories, beneficial nationally and regionally,” she
in multiple Caribbean destinations. She and working closely with partners and assured.
has served as director of marketing and
product development for St. Lucia Air and
Seaport Authority; director of business
development for Margaritaville Caribbean
Group in Jamaica; CEO of the Tortola
Pier Park in the British Virgin Islands; and
general manager of Antigua Cruise Port.
Regis-Prosper takes over the head
position from Acting Secretary General and
CEO Neil Walters, who is CTO’s Director
of Finance and Resource Management,
and has been filling the position following
the retirement of Barbadian Hugh Riley in
2019.
Previous to Riley, the late tourism
stalwart Jean Holder and Vincent
Vanderpool Wallace, former Bahamas
Director General and Bahamas Minister of From left: Dona Regis-Prosper, CTO’s new Secretary-General and CEO; Kenneth
Tourism, held this top tourism post. Bryan, Minister for Tourism & Ports, Cayman Islands and Chairman, CTO’s
Council of Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism; and Rosa Harris, Director of
As Secretary-General, Regis-Prosper Tourism, Cayman Islands and Chairman, CTO Board of Directors.
is charged with providing strategic

Cuba tourism still struggling post-COVID

According to a report in Travel Trade have come from Canada. The neighboring Mexico and the Dominican Republic in
Caribbean, Cuba’s historically vibrant Dominican Republic, in comparison, has February of 2022, due to the bans imposed
tourism picture has yet to show any welcomed more than 7 million tourists so by the European Union on the use of its
substantial recovery. far this year. airspace, following Russia’s attack on the
While most of the Caribbean islands However, with the resumption of Ukraine.
are enjoying record tourism arrivals passenger flights from Russia to Cuba on Since the resumption of flights to
exceeding 2019 levels, Cuba is in “the July 1, Cuba is expecting some increases in Cuba, Russian visitors are now the second
midst of an anguishing crisis,” said TTC, tourism. largest group of visitors occupying the
reaching a little more than one million Russian carriers completely halted tourist hotels in the Cuban resort of
visitors to date this year, nearly all of which their regular passenger flights to Cuba, Varadero.

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